August 8, 2012

Nyx sniffs (snuffs out) bed bugs for good.

A Bed Bugs’ Stealth Attack on You.

Nyx, the Illinois Bed Bug Dog and his owner and mentor Cliff Duple of A.G.A.D. Pest Control (As Good As Dead) exterminators maintain a busy schedule. So do bed bugs. They’re darn near invisible. They hide in furniture and behind your walls. They move quickly through electrical conduit. They’re stubborn. When they get to your bed, they aren’t there to sleep. They’re there to eat. You. And prevent you from sleeping. Even the thought of them makes you itch. They’re presence is thousands of times worse. They’re difficult to eradicate.

Who Can Sniff / Snuff Out Your Bed Bugs for Good?

Once you realize you’ve got them, whether Nyx, the bed bug dog finds them with his near perfect accuracy, OR WORSE, the bed bugs find you, and they are 100% at making your life miserable, you need a reliable and economical way to eradicate these pests from your person, your home, office, hotel, apartment,schoolor other structure in your life. And you want to eradicate them for good. The temperature needs to rise nearly 40 degrees more than your body temperature to kill these bed bugs and their hatching larva. That requires the right equipment and the right time commitment to making sure the bed bugs are dead.

Illinois Bed Bug Dog…Your Faithful Companion

When Cliff and Nyx at A.G.A.D Pest Control. quote you a price to eradicate bed bugs, you’re getting the whole price for eliminating these pests from your life. After the eradication takes place, Nyx can even go in and make sure they’re gone. Nyx won’t eat until you can sleep. Now that’s comforting.

August 6, 2012

Keeping bed bugs contained can prevent further exposure to bed bugs.

Bed Bugs, The Unwanted Travel Companion

I have a lot of people ask me “What can I do when I travel abroad or domestically to prevent bringing bed bugs back with me? Should I bring my luggage to a Laundromat first and wash it there? I’m a travelin’ man (or a traveling woman for that matter). The only souvenirs I want to bring home are the ones I choose to bring home. I don’t want to travel with, stay with or come home with bed bugs. Nobody does, except perhaps other bed bugs. How do I keep these free loading pests from becoming travel companions?

5 “Safe Practices” that Can Help

There are “best practices’ in your work place to employ. There are “safe practices” in travel guides. Bed bugs are opportunistic pests that you’ll encounter at hotels, in airports, even in rental cars. Actually anywhere where to the turnover of guests is frequent is a transfer area and breeding ground for bed bugs.

To eradicate bed bugs, you’ll need to:

Expose them to extreme heat; over 125 degrees. It’s a good practice to wash clothes and dry clothing at the highest heat settings before bringing them into your residence.

Pack the clothing in plastic bags to help limit exposure to your luggage. Your luggage will wind up sharing space with other luggage when you travel.

Use luggage encasements before arriving home to contain any pests.

Use cloth luggage to make it easier to place suitcases in an industrial size dryer on the highest heat setting in a Laundromat.

If you do experience them on your premises, call in a professionalto perform a thorough bed bug inspection to prevent further infestation, it is truly worth the peace of mind knowing they are gone.

Extra Caution Can Pay Off

Travel is a key area of vulnerability in preventing an infestation of bed bugs. Taking a few extra steps can save you from having to battle bed bugs on your home front. Current trends show that you can encounter these pests no matter where you travel or how you get there; car, bus, train, or airplane. Both Nyxof Illinois Bed Bug Dogand Cliff of A.G.A.D. Pest Control believe bed bug prevention is possible by taking an extra precautions. Remember that bed bugs can and will travel with you anywhere if you aren’t being cautious. It’s a real bite. Literally.

Do you have some helpful tips you might share with everyone about measures you take to leave these pests behind? Please let us know.

May 15, 2012

Finding bed bugs requires a (grueling?#!) workout schedule for Nyx.

Illinois Bed Bug Dog…Arriving on the Scene

Hey Cliff, can you park your truck on the next block?

As Good As Dead aka A.G.A.D. Pest Control has been around for 30 years. I learned that having advertising on my truck was good business while the truck was moving. It’s only when I stopped that curtains were drawn and doors were slammed. Parking in front of a school, customer’s house, dormitory, apartment or condo complex; that was a different story. Being discreet became very important. By the time we eradicated whatever pest might have been plaguing a property owner, there was a good chance that neighbors were discussing all manners of what “pest” their neighbor was inundated with.

I bet its roaches! Naw, gotta be rats! I told you they had wasps! No cat there. Must be infested with mice! That itchy kid must have lice! Raccoons, I knew it!

In truth, the most immaculate homes can run into trouble with pests. In fact, those are the clients that are most likely to call. Or they’ll stop me on the street. They’ll give me the address, invariably followed by the instructions “Hey Cliff, can you park a couple blocks away?” Sometimes, they’ll even provide the address of an unkempt rental property where no one would be surprised that a pest problem might occur.

Bed Bugs on the Move. Ugh!

It had become part of tucking a child in at night; “Good night, sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite!” You don’t hear that much anymore, because theeeeeey’re back! And they’re miserable. Their bites are painful, uncomfortable and you could be bitten hundreds of times before you realize it. You won’t be going to the Prom with the swelling and rashes they cause. The little buggers travel light and easy too. They move quickly, quietly and invisibly through your house, apartment, school, office or hotel through the walls and often use the electrical system as a “superhighway to their destination; your bed!

How do you find them? Endless Training and Cross-training.

For years that meant literally tearing up your house to expose them. That’s if they didn’t find you and your delicious flesh first. Sorry, but that’s how most people first learned of their unwanted guests.

Not anymore. MeetNyx, the Illinois Bed Bug Dog. She’s cute and very discreet. More important, she’s trained to find these bed bugs in any structure no matter where they are hiding. You could say Nyx lives for this job. Because she does. She’s a petite Fox terrier on a mission. She can fit into awkward and small spaces and she can smell beg bugs wherever they are. Even in the walls. Nyx only is rewarded with food when she successfully finds the bed bugs. Nyx has had 800 hours of initial training and an ongoing training program every day. She doesn’t get distracted by other stimuli, not smells, sights or sounds. When her “work leash” is on, she’s single-mindedly looking for only one scent; bed bugs. She’s up to 98% effective and she works fast. What used to take a whole day and might have a 30% success rate, now takes several minutes and it’s nearly perfect. As her trainer and co-worker, I, Cliff Duple, am responsible for continuing her training for 2 hours every day. That’s not too hard to do. Nyx and I are busy, really busy. She’s inspecting all day, and often times makes night calls. Whenever the bug bites, the phone rings. Nyx and Cliff Duple are ready to find those bed bugs. No one realizes Nyx is on the job. She looks like any other family pet (although in my biased opinion she’s in the top echelon of cute dogs and would win ‘Best in Show’ at Westminster if she didn’t have a job, unlike the other shallow contestants) When Nyx and I enter, we look like visitors. If Nyx finds bed bugs, I get to work with A.G.A.D. to eradicate them. Nyx will come back and check my work when I’m done. If I’ve gotten rid of the bed bugs and made your life better, I get a treat. Nyx eats her treats. I deposit mine.

January 18, 2012

While I agree that there are some benefiting from the recent rise in the numbers of bed bug infestations; there are those of us that have been in the pest control industry for many years. A.G.A.D. Pest Control, Inc. has been in business for over 30 years. We have a long established, proven method of bed bug and other pest eradication. A.G.A.D. Pest Control, Inc. has a new addition to the company and her name is Nyx. Nyx is a certified canine bedbug detection dog, whose daily training makes her up to 98% effective. With Nyx and our other proven methods of treatment, which can include heat or pesticides, we can safely rid your home or business of bed bugs.

In your search to hire a reliable pest professional, you’ll need to do some due- diligence in order to protect yourself and your wallet; my advice to anyone looking to rid themselves of bedbugs and hire a reliable company, would be this:

1) If you think you have bed bugs, capture one and call a reputable pest control company (one that didn’t jump on the bed bug “bandwagon” in the last 2 years) with a proven track record, in bed bug elimination.

2) Ask how they will rid you of these pests. What kinds of treatments do they usually perform, the pesticides they will use, and how long will it take.

3) Price will usually depend on the type of application you choose, but be wise, some of the more reliable services will offer some kind of guarantee after the last of typically 3 pesticide applications 2 weeks apart, totaling 6 weeks. Heat treatments are typically completed in 1 day and will also offer guarantees afterward.

I do not recommend anyone attempting to do his or her own pest control for these reasons:

a) Pesticides can be dangerous if you don’t know how and when to use them!

b) Most pesticide sprays and/or foggers won’t work on bed bugs and will likely spread the problem causing an even bigger infestation.

c) Call on professionals who are certified in the use of pesticides.

A.G.A.D. Pest Control, Inc. services Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. We are capable, trustworthy and reputable. If for some reason you have to call someone else, find a company you can trust implicitly; after all, unless you opt for the 1-day heat treatment you will be seeing a lot of them in the time it takes to rid yourselves of bed bugs.

December 21, 2011

One of our regular service apartment complexes called me and said that their maintenance staff found a mattress by an outside dumpster with live bed bugs on it. They had no idea what unit in this 100 unit building could have thrown out the mattress and of course they were frantic over the situation. Their first thought was to perform a visual inspection in every unit. I told them I would be happy to do this however there are going to be problems with this inspection. First, every resident had to be notified with ample time for inspection and prepare for us like stripping sheets and covers off all beds, all clutter must be picked up and we needed access to all rooms. The second problem is there were going to be a lot of questions of why we are performing this unusual inspection and it would create a bed bug panic with their residents throughout this building or even complex. I then suggested that we use Nyx and perform a hallway inspection where she smells under the doors to see if she can find the bed bug infested unit. I told them for that size building it would take about 2 hours which also was a far less cost than the visual inspection. Of course not to my surprise but to theirs Nyx found the infested unit by smelling under the doors in less than an hour and we finished the entire building in about 2 hours just as I quoted. “NYX NOSE KNOWS”

December 16, 2011

Nyx has a knack for finding bed bugs fast.

Good Night, Sleep Tight, Don’t Let the Bed Bugs Bite.
That used to be something parents said to their children in jest. Bed Bugs had been eradicated decades ago. This quaint little saying has come back with a vengeance!

Bed bugs are back. Bed bugs do bite. They also multiply very quickly and infest a living space before you know it. And they cling to your clothes and travel light from place to place. In a global world, these nasty pests are carried from continent to continent and have become a continental pain in the….skin. The effect of these bites is no laughing matter. It’s very serious.

It Takes Training and Lots of Treats. Nyx is a small, unobtrusive, extremely well-trained and well-disciplined bed bug dog with only one great mission in life; find those bugs and find them fast. There are very few who specialized in her line of work. Many don’t graduate and the program is rigorous. She’s up to 98% effective within minutes of searching an average size living space. She’s 100% discreet. She tells no one who she is or where she’s been or whether or not she’s given the “high alert signal” or the “all clear signal”.

The old saying is “Want a friend, get a dog” has merit. Nyx’s friend is her owner, trainer and business partner Cliff. Despite distracting Nyx with all manner of temptation, like piping hot pizza aroma, dog toys, squirrels running about nearby, Cliff knows that Nyx has only one thing on her mind from the moment he puts on his treat bag; Bed Bugs! No bugs no treat. Nyx, you see, works on commission. Hundreds of hours of training and daily continuing training keep Nyx in tip top condition and at peak performance. Her nose knows and she’ll stick it in your business without making it anyone else’s business. Of course, no one gets to talk to Nyx but Cliff. If you want Nyx, you call Cliff. You can’t get around him. Think you got bed bugs? Call Cliff. He’ll call Nyx.

Illinois Bed Bug Dog To The Rescue.
If Nyx gets a treat, you’ve got a problem. You’ve got bed bugs. They’re not easy to see and they’re very difficult to get rid of. AGAD Pest Control specializes in eradicating bed bugs. With over 30 years of pest control experience, they’ll finish the job Nyx started.

Using a specialty treatment heat system that kills bed bugs and the larva, AGAD eradicate the infestation in homes, offices, schools, hotels, apartment complexes, dorms and anywhere else these microscopic pests land and set up camp. There is no worse feeling than the one that tells you “you can’t go home”.

Bed bug epidemic. Where’s the enemy?

Painfully Hard to Find.
These pests are so microscopically small that you won’t see them. You won’t smell them. What you will do is FEEL them. Their bites are painful and result in terrible rashes. By the time you see what they’ve done and feel it, you’re infested. When they aren’t biting, they’re laying more eggs and creating a new generation of pests to continue the pain and discomfort.

When you read about a beg bug problem, it’s a concern. Once you’ve been bitten; it’s a crisis. You need help and you need it now. You need to find them and you need to kill them. You won’t be able to sleep until you do.

A.G.A.D (As Good As Dead) Naturally!ContactIllinois Bed Bug Dog and Nyx will find these pests and find them quickly. AGAD owner Cliff Duple has over 30 years experience in the pest control business. He’ll kill the bed bugs for you with a specialized infrared heat system that kills living bed bugs and the larvae they’ve left behind.

Nyx is a small terrier trained to do one thing; find the bed bugs. She doesn’t get distracted and she’s 98% effective. She works fast finding the tiny flesh eaters. Her only rewards come from a successful discovery. Her master Cliff works just as quickly and efficiently to eliminate the bed bugs that Nyx finds.

Moving Into a New Place to Live or Work?
It might be worth having Nyx of Illinois Bed Bug Dog do a walk-thru first. Bed bugs have become all too common. They cling to cloth, travel and breed quickly in a new place. Having a nosy friend like Nyx on your walk-thru will confirm whether your new living or work place is already occupied by unwanted pests. You won’t see them. Nyx will. You can’t kill them. Cliff will.

Both Nyx of Illinois Bed Bug Dog and Cliff of AGAD Pest Control are experts at what they do. Nyx has had thousands of hours of training and Cliff has over 30 years of experience. Bed Bugs are no laughing matter and their bites are painful and dangerous. An infestation can be especially hazardous to your health. Getting the A-OK from Nyx will help you sleep at night. Literally.